Rail joints

ABSTRACT

A rail system for a vehicle in which a joint piece interconnects adjacent lengths of rail. Each joint piece is of similar cross section to the rails and is wedge shaped to co-operate with wedge shaped ends on the rails. Engagement means are provided within the cross-section of the rails which transmit at least part of the vehicle weight from the joint-piece to the rails, of which the following is a specification.

I 1 111 3,750,946 Aug. 7, 1973 RAIL JOINTS Inventor:

Farrar Andre Jacqueme't, Grand- Lancy, Geneva, Switzerland Assingee: Battelle Memorial Institute and 1,146,444 7 1915 Pernula.....................I:i

Dunlop Limited, Geneva, Switzer- Appl. 110.; 224,513

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ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 15, 1971 Great Britain............, 4,630/71 A rail system for a vehicle in which a joint piece inter- O0 ,1 4m H12 81, 3 2 6 n n 8 3 8 2 3 [51] Int. [58] Field of Search.........,. v

Referehces cued of the rails which transmit at least part of the vehicle weight from the joint piece to the rails, of which the UMTED STATES PATENTS following is a specification.

2,085,885 7/1937 238/219 880384 2/1908 Lewls 238/225 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED AUG 71973 FIGS- RAIL JOINTS This invention relates to rail joints and rail systems.

Hitherto rails have been welded or connected by fish plates connected to the sides of the rails. Welding can cause distortion and requires expensive equipment to align and assemble the track and fish plates produce localized changes in the cross-section of the rails.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved rail joint and rail system and an improved method of assembling a rail track.

According to one aspect of the present invention a rail system comprises interconnected lengths of rails upon which a vehicle wheel or roller may run and a joint-piece of similar cross-section to the rails located between the aligned adjacent ends of successive lengths of rail wherein the joint-piece comprises a wedgeshaped element having a wheel or roller bearing surface aligned with corresponding surfaces on the rails, the rail ends are wedge-shaped to co-operate with the joint-piece, and engagement means are provided within the cross-section of the joint-piece and rails whereby the joint-piece is engaged with the rails so as to transmit at least part of the vehicle weight from the joint-piece to the rails.

The rails are preferably circular in section and may be tubular. The engagement means may comprise a cylindrical member projecting from each end of the wedge-shaped element for engagement withthe tubular rails. A similar projecting cylindrical member may also be provided projecting from the end of each rail for engaging the joint-piece.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of assembling a rail track comprising aligning the adjacent ends of successive lengths of rail supported upon a load bearing surface to leave a wedge-shaped gap when viewed in plan, inserting a wedge-shaped joint-piece in a direction substantially parallel to the said surface and locking the joint-piece toprevent movement in that direction.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a joint-piece located between two rail ends;

FIG. 2 is a side view in a direction of arrow A shown in FIG. I and,

FIG. 3 is an end view of a joint-piece shown in FIG. 1 partially in cross-section;

The embodiment of the invention is applicable to passenger conveyors of the kind in which passengercarrying platforms are each provided with rollers running upon spaced-apart rails.

FIG. 1 illustrates a joint-piece 1 comprising a wedge shaped element 2 which is tubular. A mounting pin 3 is welded to the tubular element and extends from it transversely at the tapered side of the wedge-shaped tube and is secured with a nut and spring washer 3a within a boss 4 forming part of a supporting bracket 5, the supporting bracket 5 having a pair of holes in a base portion for securing it to a load-bearing member or surface.

Similar brackets 50 and 5b are provided, one on each side of the bracket 5, and are similarly secured, respectively, to portions of tubular rail lengths 6a and 6b. The rail lengths have wedge-shaped ends 7 and 8, respectively, shaped corresponding to the ends of the jointpiece 1, gaps 9 and 10 existing between the rail ends and the joint-piece.

Tubular cylindrical projecting members 15a and 15b are provided, one at each end of the joint-piece, and are secured co-axially with it so as to project from the joint-piece sothat substantially half the area of the projecting cylinder end remains within the volume enclosed by the wedge-shaped tubular joint-piece and engaged into the adjacent rail ends 7 and 8 (see FIG. 1).

Similar second cylindrical tubular projecting members 16a and 16b are secured co-axially within rail ends 7 and 8 and, similarly, project from the rail ends into the joint-piece.

The assembly of a rail track constructed in accordance with the figures just described will now be outlined.

The tubular rail lengths are mounted by means of the brackets and 5b in acurate co-axial alignment. A pre-assembled joint-piece 1 comprising a wedgeshaped tubular element, tubular members 15a and 15b, and bracket secured together by means of a pin 3 and nut and washer 3a, is slid laterally into position to joint the rail lengths.

The lateral "sliding is made possible by the wedge shape of the element, as described, but this case of assembly doesnot mean that no support is provided by the joint-piece l to the rail ends 7 and 8. On the con trary, the wedge-shape itself serves as some support if the corresponding rail ends are deflected to close the gaps 9 and 10 to bear upon the wedge-shaped element 2. More positive support, however, is provided by the cylindrical tubular members 15a and 15b and 16a and 16b. While, as can be seen from the drawings, easy assembly can be achieved of joint-piece to rail ends by virtue of the parallel transverse adjacent faces 17a, 17b, 18a and 18b of the tubular cylindrical projecting elements, the fact that the sides of each of these members bear against both the joint-piece and a rail end, provides stability both laterally and vertically.

It is an advantage of a rail system, with joint-pieces as described, that the inclined ends of the joint-piece and rail ends spreads the line of contact of a vehicle roller or wheel passing along the rail as compared with a transverse joint and the use of the detachable joint itself eliminates the need for welding and the possibility of consequent distortion. Furthermore, the joint maintains the cross-sectional shape of the rails and does not cause localized projections.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A rail system having interconnected lengths of tubular rails and a joint between adjacent ends of successive lengths of rail comprising:

a. obliquely cut ends on said rails with a cylindrical member partly projecting beyond the oblique cut, about half of the area of the cylinder remaining within the tubular rail;

b. a joint element between aligned adjacent ends, said element having wedge shaped ends with oblique cuts and cylindrical projections complementary to those of the rail ends so that the joint element can be inserted without longitudinal displacement of the rail.

2. A rail system as in claim 1 wherein the rails and joint element are mounted on a load-bearing surface for the rail system by means of mounting pins projecting from the joint element and rails in a direction substantially parallel to the load-bearing surface and engaging rigid support members mounted to the said surface alongside the path of the rails. 

1. A rail system having interconnected lengths of tubular rails and a joint between adjacent ends of successive lengths of rail comprising: a. obliquely cut ends on said rails with a cylindrical member partly projecting beyond the oblique cut, about half of the area of the cylinder remaining within the tubular rail; b. a joint element between aligned adjacent ends, said element having wedge shaped ends with oblique cuts and cylindrical projections complementary to those of the rail ends so that the joint element can be inserted without longitudinal displacement of the rail.
 2. A rail system as in claim 1 wherein the rails and joint element are mounted on a load-bearing surface for the rail system by means of mounting pins projecting from the joint element and rails in a direction substantially parallel to the load-bearing surface and engaging rigid support members mounted to the said surface alongside the path of the rails. 